


Pieces of Her World

by CollectorOfWonder



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Jaal deserves so much love you guys, Short One Shot, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25897543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CollectorOfWonder/pseuds/CollectorOfWonder
Summary: Ryder's not good with words, but she finds a way to tell Jaal how much she loves him.
Relationships: Jaal Ama Darav/Female Ryder | Sara
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38





	Pieces of Her World

**Author's Note:**

> Posted this on Tumblr a bit ago, thought I'd keep it here as well. I'm on Tumblr as loveandsniffles. Come say hi!

Ryder’s not good with words. 

She feels things keenly, sees the subtlety of differences in emotional tones, but when it comes to expressing it in language she stumbles. It’s not just her native English. There are beautiful words there, and in Hebrew, Latin, French, Russian, and the three other domestic Earthborn languages she knows. 

Ryder’s always been great with languages. That’s not the issue. She’s even learning Shelesh and a little of Jaal’s family language. Reading’s easier, as it always is. Finding the spoken vocabulary is more difficult, but it’s doable. Shelesh bears some grammatical similarities to Arabic, and she could pick that up relatively quickly when she studied in Jerusalem for a year. 

Knowing the words and being good with them are two different things. Yet Jaal manages so well even his translations come through poetic, and when she turned it off to listen to him speak words she’d learned in his native voice, it was stunningly beautiful. He always seems to know the perfect words to make her blush, or smile, or cry with the good kind of tears. His words reach in and warp around her heart and mind the way his arms wrap perfectly around her body to make her feel safe and wanted, loved and cherished. 

She wants to give the same back to him, but...she’s not good with words. Then it occurs to her that she is his lens to Earth, to humankind, and there are so many others who found the right words. So she decides to give him pieces of her world. 

He finds the Shakespearian sonnets first. Sonnet 23 tucked inside his helmet, and 75 between the folds of his rofjinn. He gives her a confused look, then grins when SAM informs him that he is not allowed to translate it for him; that Jaal must puzzle it out with only archive guidance in the cultural center, where he’s already been studying languages of Earth. Jaal delights in puzzles, and she can tell he thinks the puzzle itself is the gift. 

As he works away, next come Rumi, Qabbani, Dante, all found hand-written in their native languages and hidden in places he uncovered bit by bit. The crew smiles indulgently and even begin writing notes of appreciate in their own languages for Jaal, showing him that love is truly universal, whatever form it takes. 

Lines from the Song of Songs in Hebrew are her favorite: the language Jaal likened to her family tongue. Those she spoke to him aloud with his translator turned off, during a night where she insisted on taking control and celebrating everything she loved about him, physically, emotionally, spiritually. He finds a written copy later, in the breastplate of his hardsuit, where it would fit over his heart. 

When he finally translates them all, he pulls her to him and doesn’t let go for the entire night, the weight of emotion between them silent and strong and needing no translation as they lay curled together on what is now _their_ bed in _their_ cabin on _their_ ship. 

“I wanted to tell you how much I love you,” she tells him. “I wanted to give you the heart of my world. Only it seemed big enough.” 

“Ah, my love, my _taoshay_ ,” he murmurs into her hair, “what could be brighter than what I already have in your heart? But the words you shared are beautiful, and I will treasure them.”

She sighs and kisses him. “I only hope it helps convey what I feel. You know I’m not good with my own words.” 

Jaal’s smile is brighter than the brightest star in Helius. “I can read it in your eyes, your lips; hear it on your breath, and feel it in your touch.” He kisses her softly, sweetly. “You never needed the words.” 


End file.
